Survey data explorer - LGBT Survey 2012

The EU LGBT survey was conducted online in the 27 European Union (EU) Member States and Croatia between April and July 2012. This survey is the largest of its kind to date and has resulted in the most wide-ranging and comprehensive picture available of the lived experience of LGBT persons residing in the EU and Croatia. The data are not representative of all LGBT persons living in the 28 countries covered by the survey but reﬂect the collective experiences of the very large number of individuals who completed the questionnaire.

The survey collected information from 93,079 persons aged 18 years or over who identiﬁed as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and who live in the EU or Croatia. The questions covered their experiences of discrimination, violence and harassment and other key issues related to the life of LGBT persons in the EU. To participate in the survey, respondents could ﬁll in the survey questionnaire anonymously over the internet. The questionnaire began with screening questions to establish respondents’ eligibility. Only those respondents who identiﬁed as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, who said they live in an EU Member State or Croatia, and who stated that they were over the age of 18 were able to complete the survey.

The aim of the EU LGBT survey was to obtain robust and comparable data that would allow a better understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons’ experiences related to fundamental rights in the EU and Croatia. The survey results provide valuable evidence of how LGBT persons experience violence, harassment and bias-motivated discrimination in different areas of life, including employment, education, healthcare, housing and other services. Additionally, the survey asked a range of questions about LGBT persons’ experiences and opinions, including public perceptions and responses to homophobia and/or transphobia, rights awareness, safe environment, the social context of being an LGBT person, and personal characteristics such as age and education. Respondents who self-identiﬁed as being transgender were asked a number of additional questions concerning their experiences as a transgender person. In the survey respondents could answer based on their own experiences and views, and it should be noted that while the respondents have identified certain events as involving discrimination, violence or harassment, these events have not necessarily been confirmed as such by an administrative or judicial process.

Online surveys are effective in reaching populations which are very difficult to sample through other means, such as screening respondents from door-to-door or over the telephone, for large-scale surveys. Collecting data online means that the respondents are not required to reveal their identity to interviewers, in person or over the telephone. This choice of methodology allowed the FRA survey to access very large numbers of potential respondents, including those who are less open about their sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as people who may feel uncomfortable revealing these aspects of their private life and providing information about sensitive issues, such as their experiences of violence. Online surveys have also a number of limitations; for example, the sample is not random and the results cannot be generalised to characterise the whole LGBT population. Unequal access to the internet may reduce the number of respondents from geographic areas and social contexts where internet access is less widespread. Examining all the responses to the survey, the respondents can be characterised as predominantly male, gay, young and highly educated.

Careful steps were taken throughout the development and implementation of the survey to ensure that the data obtained were of the highest possible quality, and that they give a comparable picture of the situation across the EU and Croatia, based on the responses of participants in the survey. The survey methodology is discussed in more detail in the EU LGBT survey – Technical report. The reproduction of the data and charts is authorised according to FRA’s terms and conditions. When using the results found in the data explorer, the FRA EU LGBT Survey 2012 must be acknowledged as the source.

How to use the data explorer:

How to use the data explorer

This interactive tool offers different ways to explore the data behind the FRA LGBT survey results. There are four main visualisation options: EU map, EU chart, Country detail and Country comparison, as well as a Data table option that shows the data for the selected visualisation.

How to explore the data

The survey questions are divided into five categories, shown as tabs: Daily life; Discrimination; Rights awareness; Transgender specific questions; and Violence and harassment. The numbers on the tabs indicate how many questions are in each group. Choose a category, then a question from the drop-down list in the grey box, and the desired visualisation. You can also apply additional filters by choosing from the options in the grey box.

How to export the data

The export options can be found at the foot of each page. To export the visualisation as an image, choose one of Figure (PNG), Figure (High resolution), EPS (High resolution) or PDF (High resolution). To export the data for the selected visualisation in Microsoft Excel format, choose Data (XLS). To generate a Page URL, Embeddable HTML or a Page citation, choose the corresponding option.

Export Visualization

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